Combination vent and starting valve for torpedoes



Nov. 1, 1955 c. w. CLEMENS 2,722,188

COMBINATION VENT AND STARTING VALVE FOR TORPEDOES Filed March 31, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet l 5063A E Cal/N TEE M0 M04 TANK INI/IJNI'OR.

CLARK W. CLEMENS m 5000 PSI AIR BY ATTORN EYS Nov. 1, 1955 c. w. CLEMENS2,722,188

COMBINATION VENT AND STARTING VALVE FOR TORPEDOES Filed March 31, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet 2 /1' 4, 5000 PSI AM? i INVENTOR. LEAKAGE R CLARK W.CLEMENS m 600 Psl AIR BY m NAVOL VAPOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 1, 1955 C. W.CLEMENS COMBINATION VENT AND STARTING VALVE FOR TORPEDOES Filed March31, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m 3000 PSI AIR m 600 PSI AIR w NAVOL VAPOR ESEA WATER m] vsu'reo AIR INVENTOR. CLARK W. CLEMENS BY va/"QM ATTORNEYSUnited COMBINATION VENT AND STARTING VALVE FOR TORPEDOES Clark W.Clemens, Whittier, Califi, assignor to the United jYSates of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United Statesof America for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to torpedoes and more particularly to valveapparatus for pressurizing a tank containing liquid propellant employedwith a torpedo propulsion system.

It has been the practice, in some torpedoes, to provide them with a highpressure air bottle which pressurizes a tank containing liquidpropellant, such as hydrogen peroxide (Navol), when the torpedo islaunched to effect flow of the propellant to a combustion chamber andengine, which latter form parts of the torpedo propulsion system.Various valve systems have been employed to effect pressurization at thedesired time, which are in general, complicated, require numerous pipingconnections within the torpedo, thus increasing time of installation,multiplying possibilities of failures, occupying excessive space andbeing expensive of manufacture.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a novelunitary valve device which is adapted to effect tates Patentpressurization of a liquid propellant by an air pressure source.

Another object is to provide the device with an exterior accessibleconnection by which the rate of decomposition of the propellant may bereadily determined.

Another object is to provide visible means for determining whether anair valve has leaked during storage or transportation of the torpedo.

Another object is to construct the device in such manner that it may bebodily inserted into its operative position adjacent and within thetorpedo shell from outside of same.

Another object is to minimize internal conduit connections within thetorpedo.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become moreapparent from the description to follow, the appended claims and theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the subject of the invention,illustrated in simplified form, associated elements being showndiagrammatically; and

Figs. 2 to 6 are diagrammatic illustrations similar to Fig. l, hatchingbeing omitted to obviate confusion with fluid symbols, showing variousstages of operation of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly Fig. l, the subjectof the invention comprises, in general, a unitary valve body V whichcontains all of the various valves, ports, and mechanisms for effectingthe pressurization of a hydrogen peroxide tank, the body beinginsertable into a torpedo T, adjacent its shell S, from the outsidethereof and secured thereto by any suitable fastening devices.

The left or terminal end of a conduit 10 is connected to a conventionalhigh pressure air bottle in the torpedo, this conduit communicating withan exterior accessible ice terminal conduit end 10a during pressurizingof the air bottle but otherwise normally closed by an air bottlecharging check valve 12 which may be of any conventional construction.Conduit 10 is also closed, except when the navol tank is to bepressurized by the air bottle, by a hollow ported piston type air bottledischarge valve 14 which is actuated by a toggle linkage 16 connected toa solenoid 18.

When valve 14 is open conduit 10 communicates with conduit 20 and an airpressure reducing or regulating valve 22 which is suitably balanced by aspring and piston actuator 24 to maintain a desired reduced pressure inconduit 26. Conduit 26 communicates with a conduit 28 through a pressurebalanced shuttle valve 30 which is actuated by a hydrostatic bellows 32,the inside of which communicates with ambient sea water. An air vent 34communicates conduit 28 with sea water, when valve 30 moves to itsopposite limit of movement from that shown in Fig. 1.

Conduit 28 communicates with one side of a spring urged piston typestarting valve 36, the other side of which communicates with conduit 26.Conduit 28 is also provided with a check type air vent valve 38, havinga bypass bleed port 40, the downstream side of this valve being closedby a rupture disk 42.

The navol tank, which is disposed within the torpedo, is connected to aconduit 44, this conduit having a vent 46 through which vapors mayescape through an aperture 48, which is open when valve 14 is closed. Apiston type navol vent valve 50 is adapted to close the navol vent whenit moves to its opposite limit of movement from that shown in Fig. 1 inresponse to pressure in conduit 26.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will now be assumed that it is desired topressurize the air bottle. Conduit end 10a is connected to a highpressure air source (about 3000 p. s. i.) and air flows to the airbottle through conduit 10 as shown by the symbol hatching. When thepressure source is disconnected from conduit end 10a valve 12 willautomatically move to the closed position shown in Fig. 3, closingconduit 10.-

In event air leaks past closed valve 14 during storage of the torpedothis may be detected as follows: Referring to Fig. 3, leakage air passesthrough reducing valve 22, through conduits 26, 28 and vent 40 in valve38, building up pressure behind rupture disk 42, which will rupture at apredetermined leakage pressure. Visual inspection of the rupture diskwill therefore reveal that the air pressure in the air bottle is not asoriginally charged. Leakage air cannot open valve 36 since the pressurein conduits 26, 28 is the same and the effective area of piston 37exposed to conduit 23 is greater than that exposed to conduit 26. Inaddition, it is urged toward closed position by a spring 39. In event itis desired to determine the state of decomposition of the navol, this isattained by attaching a conventional bubble counter to aperture 48.

When it is desired to pressurize the navol tank this is initiated asshown in Fig. 4. Solenoid 18 is energized, moving the toggle linkage 16over center and effecting opening of valve 14 by high pressure air inconduit 10. The high pressure air flows through reducing valve 22providing lower pressure air downtream thereof (600 p. s. i.). Disk 42ruptures but valve 40 now moves to a closed position and prevents airfrom passing through the ruptured disk. Valve 50 has also moved to aposition closing communication of the navol vent with the outside of thetorpedo.

As the torpedo descends in the water, hydrostatic pressure withinbellows 32 extends same, moving shuttle valve 30 to the position shownin Fig. 5, vent 34 being closed by the shuttle valve.

When the torpedo reaches a predetermined depth, shuttle valve 30 movesto the position shown in Fig. 6

3 due to the increased hydrostatic pressure. The shuttle valve nowcloses communication between conduits 26 and 28 and opens vent 34. Thepressure in conduit 28 now decreases to ambient :hydrostaticsea.pressure due to communication of vent 34 and conduit 31 with conduit28. Since the force of regulating valve pressure acting on the lowerside of piston 37 now exceeds the force of hydrostatic sea pressure plusspring pressure acting on its upper side, valve 36 opens permitting airto enter conduit 44 and pressurizing the navel tank. Pressure in thenavol tank effects discharge of its contents to the propulsion system ofthe torpedo .as well understood in the art.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to 'beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

-What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for pressurizing a navol tank disposed within a torpedo,from an air bottle, also disposed therein; for detecting leakage of airfrom the air bottle; and for detecting rate of decomposition of theliquid in the navol tank; comprising; a first conduit having a terminalend accessible from the exterior of the torpedo adapted to communicatewith the air bottle, whereby the air bottle may be pressurized from asource .of air exterior of the torpedo, said conduit having a firstvalve therein for closing communication to said terminal end when saidsource is disconnected from said terminal end, a second valve normallyclosing said conduit and normally preventing fiow of air from said airbottle, means for opening said second valve, a pressure reducing valvecommunicating with said first named conduit when said second valve isopen, adapted to deliver air at a predetermined pressure, a third valve,a hydrostat for actuating said third valve from a normal first positionto a second posi- .tion when'the torpedo descends to a predetermineddepth in water, a second conduit including a fourth normally closedvalve therein adapted to communicate the navol tank and pressurereducing valve when said fourth valve is open, a, third conduitcommunicating said pressure reducing valve and a rupturable member, saidfourth valve being biased to closed position at least in part bypressure .in said third conduit and movable to open position by pressurein said second conduit When the pressure in 'said third conduit .isreduced to a predetermined value,,-a fifth normally'open valve .forclosing communication between said pressure reducing valve and saidrupturable .rnember.,.-a normally open sixth valve :adapt'edtopermit'communication between said navol tankand a bubble .counter .orthe like, said sixth valve being movable 'to closed position by airpressure .-in a fourth conduit communicating same with said pressurereducing valve; the construction and arrangement being such that: whensaid second valve .is closed .air leaking past same from said firstvconduit .flows to the rupturable member and ruptures same, whereby theobservation of the rupturedmember indicates that air has leaked from theair bottle and hence the ,pressure .in the latter may not be optimum forpressurizing the navol tank, while said second valve is 'closed and saidsixth valve is open the rate of decomposition of the liquid in the navoltank may be detected with a bubble counter or the like, when said secondvalve is opened by .said .means .for opening same, air delivered fromthe pressure reducing valve actuates said fifth and sixth valves toclosed positions, said fifth valve closing communication between saidthird conduit and the rupturable member, and said sixth valve closingcommunication from the navol tank to the bubble counter, as the torpedodescends to a predetermined depth in water the hydrostat actuates saidthird valve to its second position and shuts off communication from saidpressure reducing valve and one side of said fourth valve and also ventsthe pressure on the aforesaid one side whereby said fourth valve isopened by the air in said second conduit and delivered to the navol tankat predetermined pressure, the construction and arrangement beingfurther characterized in that said apparatus is contained within aunitary body, the unitary body having only two fluid connections forapparatus within the torpedo, one for the air bottle and the other forthe navol tank.

2. Apparatus for pressurizing a propellant tank disposed within atorpedo from an air bottle also disposed therein, comprising; a unitaryvalve bodymember adapted to be disposed adjacent and within the shell ofthe torpedo, said body member having connections accessible from outsidethe torpedo shell for pressurizing the air bottle and for testing acondition of the propellant, said body member having connectionsaccessible from inside the torpedo shell for communicating the bodymember with the air bottle and propellant tank, a normally closed airbottle discharge valve in the body member adapted to be opened whendesired,-and apparatus within the body member for reducing air pressuresupplied through said discharge valve, for closing communication betweenthe propellant tank and the accessible connection for testing saidcondition, and for supplying the air at reduced pressure to thepropellant tank when the torpedo reaches a predetermined dcpth in water.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means on said bodymember, visible from outside the torpedo, for determining air leakage.past said air bottle discharge valvewhen it is closed.

4. A unitary valve body for pressurizing a propellant tank disposedwithin a torpedo fro-m an air bottle, also disposed therein, comprising;a unitary valve body adapted to be disposed adjacent and within theshell of the torpedo having an outer portion substantially conforming tothe outer streamlined shape of the torpedo, and having an inner portiondisposed within the space within the torpedo, conduit connectionsadapted to connect said inner portion to the air bottle and to thepropellant tank with the valve body disposed :for communicationtherebetween, conduit connection in said outer portion and accessiblefrom outside of the torpedo for pressurizing the air bottle, and asimilar connection for determining a condition of the propellant in thepropellant tank.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim -4 including an airbottle'discharge valve within said inner portion adapted to be openedwhen desired, and visible means on said outer portion for determiningair leakage past said discharge valve when it is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED vSTATES PATENTS-1,207,333 Shonnard Dec. 5, 1.916 1,303,045 Dieter May 6, 1919 1,445,936Dieter Feb. 20, 1923

